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Anyone use a PS2 slide card?


jwinges

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I'm thinking about getting a slide card but keep hearing conflicting info about it. If you have one, what can it do for me and do you like it? I'm really only interested in playing the new Macross game and backing up some of my PS2 games so the kids don't scratch them. Please help... I need to order soon.

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Hello,

Information regarding a slide card would be great.

I've already posted information concerning both a "Boot/Swap Disc" and a "Mod Chip" so those topics have been covered, but I'm sure most people want to chose the easiest method.

Apparently there is a no-solder mod chip available, but I'm not sure who makes it.

Perhaps a "Slide Card" is a good alternative to a "Mod Chip."

Sincerely,

Christopher B)

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Have you tried doing a google search on

no-solder ps2

or

no-solder ps2 import

?

Using the second, I came up with an ad/description of a slide card after a few clicks: http://www.modchip.com/ps2/slidecard.htm

I also did some more searches and came up with a discussion of how a slide card works. Read it here. These instructions give a little more detail. (Looks like they're hosted by Treasure Island Sports, but I'll bet they're the same all over the net.) Another description is here.

Basically, it looks like the "slide card" method involves using a special disc (such as the Swap Magic disc) to fool the PS2 into thinking it has a legitimate disc in the tray. You then use the "slide card" to open the tray and put in the disc you want to play.

Edit: looking on Usenet (google groups) I see varying reports of success. Here's one example. The guy was able to get DVD-based games to work, but not CD's. This thread points out a likely hazard: damaging the disc tray by manually pulling it in and out.

Edited by ewilen
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Ok Well guys I have GREAT news. The slide card is freakin INSANLY EASY TO USE!!! I just got it today and it plays My copy of super robot wars Alpha 2 NO problem. All you do is take off this one small thing on the front NOT THE BACK (so the warrenty is still good) and you can easily put it back on. (Its the little PS2 logo infront of the disc holder thing. you then follow the simple directions (Maybe take a little practice to get it done fast though) but I understood in a few minutes and got it going pretty quickly.

If you have NO idea how to do modchips or don't want a nervous breakdown taking apart your PS2 GET THIS NOW!!!!!!! :D

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I just got it today and it plays My copy of super robot wars Alpha 2 NO problem.

But. Is the slide card for copies, imports, or both? I don't plan on having any backups............yet/ B)

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The Slide Card should boot CDR's and DVDR's too. The actual slide card prevents the PS2 from detecting that the front tray has been opened, thereby allowing you to boot with the Magic Disc and replace said disc with a burn or import.

I've used the Magic Discs in conjunction with solderless mods with success. Like ewilen wrote, the CD Magic disc (not to be confused with the DVD Magic Disc) didn't boot psx games, but I got an older version of the CD Magic Disc to boot fine. I guess the latter CD Magic Discs have an error in their boot code, or just aren't compatible with my PS2 model.

***waits for esta to come by and tell us how lame we are for using mods and not buying an import PS2 ;):lol::p

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The current SWAP MAGIC boot disc for CD works on my backup CD PS2 games.

You've got the copy the CD/DVDs a certain way.

There's a website out there that tells you what to use.

can't find it now.

haven't done it in a while, but I use Record Max

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Alright. I just ordered my copy of Macross from Play Asia. But first I need to know if this SLIDE CARD is going to work for my Stateside PS2. Who's gonna be the first to post a review? :ph34r:

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Dont forget, Slide cards are bundled with bootdiscs that can be either PAL or NTSC

PAL = australia and europe, NTSC = all you other guys :) America and Japan.

Make sure you get the right one for your country fellas

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Here's a hint...Make sure your slide card is right side up. Its not labeled and seems to only work when the tab with the hook is to the right. Will look somewhat like this:

oooooooooooooooooo o

00000000000000000000 00

000000000000000000000000

000000000000000000000000

000000000000000000000000

000000000000000000000000

0000000000000000

0000000000000000

0000000000000000

0000000000000000

0000000000000000

0000000000000000

0000000000000000

I played with mine for a 1/2 hour before I realized I had the card up side down :angry:

The directions pics are of no help either.

cheers.

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Here's a hint...Make sure your slide card is right side up.  Its not labeled and seems to only work when the tab with the hook is to the right.  Will look somewhat like this:

oooooooooooooooooo      o

00000000000000000000  00

000000000000000000000000

000000000000000000000000

000000000000000000000000

000000000000000000000000

0000000000000000

0000000000000000

0000000000000000

0000000000000000

0000000000000000

0000000000000000

0000000000000000

I played with mine for a 1/2 hour before I realized I had the card up side down  :angry:

The directions pics are of no help either.

cheers.

looks like someone used to program in dos or ascii :lol:

oh yeah... get a hold of big o' if you want info on ripping dvd based psx2 games down to cdr size so you can "back-up" cheaper. I'll tell him to make a comment when I see him. Most of the older games are less than 700 megs, as are all the psxone games, so the knowledge is useful. He keeps offering me stuff but I have so many games I haven't played already that I got burnt out :blink: . All I can say for certain is he has over a few hundred psx 2 games that work on his unit, not even beginning to factor in the roms, emu's, psx1, etc that he has gotten to work. He's focusing on x-box and setting up a reptile farm so I will see if I can get his attention...

BIG O

BIG O

BIG O

... Can you hear me???

Edited by kanata67
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Oh Boy, are you Slide tool users going to be sorry when the motor in your DVD drive wears out in a month and makes your PS2 unuseable.

If you are going to use the Swap Magic disc trick spend the extra $10 and get yourself a flip-top cover instead.

Check http://www.ps2case.net/index.htm for more info.

Flip top covers can be installed in seconds by blind monkeys with no arms. They also put less stress on your console by not forcing you to keep ejecting the disc and swap like a Game Shark or Action Replay would.

It way beats dragging out the cd tray and pushing it back in to cheat the reset check.

Plus, if you DO wear out your motor on your DVD drive, the flip top cover will be the way you'll be fixing the problem :lol:

The swap magic discs have mixed results with back-up games and imports alike.

It matters not wheter you use the slide tool or the flip top cover.

Current Swap Magic Disks WILL NOT boot psx backup discs and I hope those sports freaks amongst you won't be dissapointed to find out most of the good EA sports DVD rips won't boot with the swap magic discs either.

(I have not tried EA sports DVDs with them yet so I do not know if it works with DVDs either but I have had success with most DVDs that were not DVD9 format. Bigger games like Tomb Raider AOD have not been able to boot, even when ripped.)

Best of luck to you folks with the slide tool. You'll hate it the second your ps2 breaks and turns to junk. (Just ask anyone who tried the similar "Knife Swap" trick.)

The best mod method is the current version of the Magic modchip which let you simply insert any back-up or import and play, irrelevant of which video format (NTSC / PAL) your title is on. It is nearly impossible to install by anybody but an expertly trained professional.

!!!Kids, do NOT try this at home.!!!

There are some contact points on certain microchips on the ps2 motherboard necessary for the installation that are smaller than wires being used for the modchip. The space inbetween the contact points is so tight, there is no margin for error and one stray drip of solder or shaky hands can fuse two pins of the microchip together making your ps2 short out rendering it useless forever.

For the best information regarding mod methods for the PS2 check www.ps2ownz.com and use their forums to gain the knowledge you need.

I would say in my opinion, that it is almost worth it to pay the money to have an expert install a Magic modchip for you. Most quality installers charge alot of money for this service but it's worth every penney if you cannot do it yourself.

Even in order to get started, you have to completely dissasemble a bobby-trapped ps2 console to check it's motherboard to find out what version console you have so you can order the rigth chip anymore. The serial # on the back of the console is no good anymore for refference to what version PS2 you have.

You can even nuke your PS2 if you have ver. 4 and beyond by simply dissasembling it wrong and accidentally tearing a paper-thin wire or cable input. Sony want's you to damage your PS2 if you attempt to take it apart.

If and when shopping for a modchip, notice how many different PS2 replacement components are available. If you are thinking of doing the install for yourself for the first time, plan on ordering a full set of them if you never took apart a ps2 before and are not an expertly competent solderer. There is a good reason there a market exists for these products.

All other known methods that both include and do not include soldering of any other modchip do not work 100% with all formats.

Kanata67 can vouch for the fact that install modchips in all systems ( we met when I did his PSX)

and know my stuff. Even with my abilities, I do not relish the thought of modding another PS2 beyond ver. 3 EVER.

I have a neo key 2.5 in a ver. 3 PS2 that was easy as pie to install. I use the Game Shark to boot my stuff off of cd-rips. I cannot make the DVD boot trick work to save my life, it's too much of a pain in the ass to even try with a game Shark and you still have to have an original PS2 DVD to make it work correctly.

The Neo Key does not work with every psx game either.

I sometimes borrow a friends swap magic disc when I have games that won't boot with the Game Shark. Swap magic Discs in combination with my Neo Key modchip using my friend's flip top cover method have given me the best results with all games but a few.

I'm still on the fence as to what I want to do in regards to upgrading the mod on my PS2. I'm leaning towards getting a magic chip and having my buddy install it. It all depends on if he wants to do it. ( I know I don't)

I hope this information can benefit all concerned parties.

Those of you interested in TRADING PSX, PS2, XBOX, DreamCast, N64, MAME, or any other backups or roms feel free to shoot me a PM over to me with any requests or possible trades.

I'm always looking to complete my colection.

I have over 250 PSX titles, 250 PS2 titles (mostly dvdrips but some full dvds), almost all of the Dreamcast titles, 90 XBOX titles, 7 totally useless Game Cube backups (they are the full ISO image but nothing at the moment can play them.) countless PC Titles and almost every emulator & rom known to exist.

I can send complete lists to interested folks but it may take some time to chronicle everything I have.

Edited by Big "O"
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HEY BIG O, i got a question im not sure what to get a slide card or a flip top, after your description im leaning towards a fliptop, this got me thinking because i never had to have my ps1 taken to sony to be fixed and i probaly never will take my ps2 to be fixed if it got broken so i can void the warranty by putting on the flip top.how long does the warrenty last on a ps2? forever? or just a couple of years? because if the warranty it only last a couple of years ill go with the fliptop. also can you still open the cd tray the regular way even with the floptop? oh yea does it matter witch vesion of the slide card or flip top i get with my model of ps2?

Edited by Murphy
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if you bought it somewhere that offered extended warrenty services, and you paid the extra money, it's however long you paid for. Manufacturer's warrenty is either 90 days or 1 year... I forget. Anyone who still has the psx2 direction manual can tell you for sure.

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can somebody post pix on how it's suppose to look like installed? That would be great, thanx. I may have to go to frank and sons to see if they have it there. :p:D:lol:

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I posted a link to the site with the flip-top coever in the lengthy post I made the other day.

Here it is again: http://www.ps2case.net/index.htm

These are the guys that delveloped the thing. The will have all of the info you will need regarding the product on their site as well as pictures of the unit.

blue_small.jpg

Black_cover-icon.jpg

ps2-ivory-m_small.jpg

The CD tray still slides out but you need to use the flip top to fool the DVD check when the tray ejects itself.

The slide tool wears out the DVD eject motor. Imagine how long your PC's cd tray would eject if you kept pulling it open and pushing it closed and you should have a good isea what the slide tool will do to your ps2 console.

Flip-top cover is the cheapest and next best thing to a mod-chip.

The slide tool is a gimmick at best and should not be used unless you've already broken the CD tray on your PS2.

For the extra $10, go ahead and invest in a case cover.

The PS2 has a 90-day limited warranty and and 1 years parts warranty.

You should not be worried about voiding the warranty with Sony unless yoour PS2 is less than 2 weeks old. Sony's warranty service is terrible.

I'll have my ps2 back-up list ready and will be mailing to all parties who PMed me.

(Many thanks for the inquiries guys!!)

Edited by Big "O"
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sorry guys i got more retarted questions.....if i get the flop top or slide card can i play different region movie DVD's? an also reading the descriptions at TISC what exactly ate dvd-r and cd-r? are they just the format that people record their media on? and how whould i know if playing an import if its a dvd-r or cd-r?

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The slide tool wears out the DVD eject motor. Imagine how long your PC's cd tray would eject if you kept pulling it open and pushing it closed and you should have a good isea what the slide tool will do to your ps2 console.

dvd-r and cd-r refers to dvd "recordable" and cd recordable... as opposed to -rw which indicates re-recordable"

you can tell something that should be dvd based [ie over 700 megs] and isn't as game content will be lacking. I have yet to encounter a cd based game being put on a dvd as it would be a waste of space and money.

lets see... about three months if I recall. It still opens and closes as long as a disc is in it but if I forget to have on in it when I close my burner I have to dig out my dental probe and forcible eject it. Then again poor mr burner has easily made numerous thousands of discs and is long overdue for an upgrade/replacement.

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Eisiest way to tell if a ps2 impost title is DVD or CD is to check the color of the disk.

AS we all know, PS2 cds are blue. DVD's still have the silver sheen.

DVDs can be ripped (Movies, trailers, demos, and sounds can be taken out) to fit on a CDr,

With a special program you can make 2 or more CDbased games fit on one DVDr but it is time consuming and a bit of a hassle to do right. (You have to be familiar with hexidecimal offsets as you will have to change the hex code to get the games to play right on the DVD.)

For those of you who are making back-ups but do not own the actiual game:

Better just to stick to making CDr rips or investing in a DVD burner. (DVDs are not really that cost effective to use right now with most games dropping to $20 at retail after a few months and total cost for a DVD back up (without renting the game) is still about $3-4 plus a couple of hours worth of your pc's time. If you have to rent a game (unless it is a brand new 0-day release) just buy the game.

Those of you with the original game disc:

Unless you have the money to burn on DVD Back-ups just make Cdr rips and watch the movies off of the original DVD.

(I get 200 blank 1x Princo DVDs for $120 shipped. {I can post a link if need be} and DVD cases for $.50 a piece. DVD labels cost almost $1 after I print them out on my HP deskjet 612)

Swap Magic disks use region x encoding and will load ALL DVD regions. Pal or NTSC. (Gameshark and action replay discs do this as well.) Swap Magic discs are universally used with the slide tool gimmick and the flip-top cover.

This is the best method of PAl or ntsc conversion I know of. No disc patching, no inconsistentcy with the mod chip, no expensive converter unit. GameSharks simply suck at this and alot of times the PS2 will crash when you use their emmbedded DVD region software.

I have 3 versions of the Game Sharck/ Action Replay and none of them are easy to use. I usually have to boot the GS 3 times to get it to work right.

Edited by Big "O"
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i just got a flip top and all i have to say is BIG O thanks for introducing me to this way!! it really was easy to install and to play import games it is really easy to do...but i got a question....im getting a region 2 dvd movie in the mail so do i load it the same way as my games but use the dvd boot disk?

also how do you know if you scratched the lens? i didnt touch mine but im just wondering what happens?

Edited by Murphy
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I have been following this thread with interest and the one question that I have for gamers in general--and "Big O" in particular considering his/her knowledge of the PS2--is with the PS2 flip top, will I still be able to use the cheat feature of such cheating devices as the Action Replay and the Codebreaker? Some of the postings in this thread said that the AR2 can be used in place of the Swap Magik as the boot disc but what about using it to...ahem, cheat in games? Won't the boot disc have to come to a complete stop before you can open the flip top and put in your import or back-up disc? I notice that when using an AR2, the disc appears to come to a stop after it is booted but not so with the Codebreaker (marked by the constant spinning of the motor). Does it mean that the Codebreaker cannot be used once the PS2 flip top is installed due to its inability to tell the PS2 to stop spinning the disc, which I assume that both the AR2 and the Swap Magik do? :(

On another question that is slight off-topic from the PS2 flip top: Is there a particular DVD format that one must use when backing up games? I know that we have DVD+R and DVD-R but which one will the PS2 read? Which one is preferrable?

Many thanks in advance for the answer(s) to my newbie questions. :)

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I use both DVD formats and they work fine.

Cheap Princo 1x DVD-r seem to have worked the best for me.

The AR2 or GS may or may not work with some games.

Most game back ups can be patched to be "No-Mod" so they can be booted with only a AR2 or GS and NO modchip present. You just have to know hexadecimal code and where the offsets are in the game so that you can change them manually (This method is not for nrewbies and does require some additional knowledge)

There is no way to boot a cheat enhancer after the swap magic disks but in some cases you can boot with the flip top and a GS instead of the Swap Magic discs.

The codebreaker should work if you boot the disc whe the PS2 is turned on.

Edited by Big "O"
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Here's a question for those in the know ...

After reading this thread, here is where I'm at ...

Will the best bet for a no modchip system be the ...

*flip top cover

*Neo chip USB

*Swap disks

My concern is will this config allow me to play my backed up VFX-2 games, as well as my current PS2 games and my soon to be purchased new Macross game for the PS2?

I have a fair share of soldering experience. I used to work at a cable harness manufacturer, but the smallest gauge wire I worked with was 24. I used to crank out about 300 cables a day of 10 wire assys. I'm only concerned with the smaller wire size and close tolerances on the chips and such I'd fry something.

Please let me know what you guys think is the best route. I like the idea of being able to "turn off" the chip if I'm trying to play legit games that detect modded systems.

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Here is my experince with the flip top:

My PS2 is a SCPH 30001

With a PS2 gameshark V2 ps one disc, I was able to play my burns of Macross DYRL and Tenchu Shinobi Gaisen. I dont know if it works with original imports since I don't own anymore.

The Swap discs didn't work for my Region 2 DVDs. Not a big deal for me since I own a region free player

The Swap disc worked fine with Macross PS2 game

Game shark V2 codes will not work

Gameshark V2 will not boot PS2 Imports.

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